Preview: Sony Alpha 7R IV

Friday 26 July 2019, 15:15 by Aäron Nasarany | 5,940 views | 0 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

Sony introduced the Sony Alpha 7R IV mirrorless camera last week. The successor to the renowned resolution beast, the Alpha 7R III. We were able to try it out in Dublin. Read our experiences here.

Sony A7R IV

- 61-megapixel full-frame BSI-CMOS sensor
- 10 frames per second
- Built-in image stabilisation on the sensor (up to 5.5 stops of benefit)
- ISO sensitivity: 100 - 32,000 ISO (expandable: 50 - 102,800 ISO)
- 15 stops of dynamic range
- Hybrid autofocus system with 567 phase-detection and 425 contrast-detection points
- Tilting 3-inch display (1.44 million pixels)
- Maximum shutter speed of 1/8000
- 2x SD(XC) memory card slots
- Built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC
- Sony E mount
- Weight: 665 grams

The Sony R line has always focused on resolution, and this is certainly reflected in this full-frame sensor with no fewer than 61 megapixels. For now, this is the highest number of megapixels on a full-frame (35mm) format sensor.

The camera has 567 fast phase-detection autofocus points, covering 74 per cent of the viewfinder image.

In practice

Let me start with the appearance. As a Sony Alpha 7R III user, I noticed a few small changes. The grip is a little larger, which makes the camera feel more secure in your hands.

If you have small hands, this may be a disadvantage during prolonged use, but overall the camera sits well in your hands.

The background was aluminium foil!
Sony clearly took a good look at one of our many portrait tips
To test the camera's speed and resolution, Sony organised several live shoots at the Powerscourt Hotel in Wicklow, Ireland. The photos below have been minimally edited and were taken with the Sony FE 135mm f/1.8 G Master lens.

The Eye Autofocus worked very quickly and accurately here
Thanks to its high resolution, you can easily improve your composition afterwards by cropping. In addition, 61 megapixels is ideal if you want to have your photos printed in an extremely large format. Eye Autofocus works very quickly, and combined with the Sony FE 135mm f/1.8, you can take beautiful portraits.

One of the gardens at the Powerscourt Hotel

The difference between its smaller brother

I did not notice many physical differences, although a number of internal aspects have been improved. Compared with its smaller brother, the Sony A7R IV has the following:

- Real-time tracking in video
- 61-megapixel EXMOR R BSI-CMOS sensor
- Continuous shooting at 10 frames per second
- 15 stops of dynamic range
- Dual slots (both UHS-II)
- Wireless tethering

I am getting quite excited about this! Real-time tracking in video is of course an interesting feature for videographers. You can also shoot wirelessly tethered via fast Wi-Fi, which gives studio, fashion and portrait photographers more freedom of movement.

In addition, continuous shooting at 10 frames per second is useful for sports and wildlife photographers. The Sony a9 naturally still has the better specifications in this area. The 61-megapixel files will also quickly fill up your cards at these burst speeds.

To test this in practice, Sony set up a shoot in which a man dropped an ice cube into a glass of whisky.

Accessories

Sony also announced a number of appealing accessories, including a vertical grip, an XLR adapter kit and an innovative ECM-B1M shotgun microphone.

During a demonstration of the shotgun microphone, I was very impressed by the audio quality and the accompanying features. You can record sound in three different ways: super-directional, unidirectional and omnidirectional.

Conclusion

The Sony Alpha 7R IV is a professional camera for sports, wildlife and portrait photographers. As a Sony 7R III user, I do not think the internal differences between the 7R II and the 7R IV are large enough to actually make the switch.

I am still very pleased with the power, speed, operation and resolution of the Sony 7R III. But Sony has once again set a new standard for resolution and detail in a full-frame mirrorless camera.

The Sony Alpha 7R IV is more powerful and faster than its predecessor. The Sony Alpha 7R IV is suitable for professionals working in wildlife, portrait, wedding and landscape photography. What a camera!

Price and availability

The latest addition to the Sony Alpha line naturally comes with a price tag. The Sony Alpha 7R IV is available from the end of August for 4,000 euros.

The ECM-B1M shotgun microphone will be available from September 2019 for 350 euros.

Want to know more about Sony cameras?

At Photofacts Academy, we also have a complete course on Sony cameras. In this course, you will discover how to find your functions again in no time, how to create your own menu, how to focus in various ways and much more!

> View the course

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